Is a Portable Evaporative Cooler Worth It?

samxspam on 26/10/2025 - 12:50
Last edited 26/10/2025 - 19:11 by 1 other user

I live in Victoria in a unit which has a split-system air conditioner only in the living room.

As summer is approaching, our bedroom becomes extremely warm and the heat stays trapped, even when it’s cool outside. My landlord refuses to assist, he owns 20 units in a row and says no one has ever complained. However, my bedroom still gets very hot. I considered a portable air conditioner, but the hot-air exhaust hose and the awning-type windows (it’s behind my bed) make installation difficult. I’m now thinking of buying a portable evaporative cooling system (probably from Bonaire).

Are these worth it in Victoria’s climate?

• 

  joka on 26/10/2025 - 13:15

  +2

  I used to use one, I thought it made sleeping allot easier on those hot summer nights.

  Not sure if you’d have the two on at the same time though because one requires closed windows and the other requires open windows.

  • 

    aboabo on 26/10/2025 - 13:41

    +1

    An Open and Shut Case.

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  geekcohen on 26/10/2025 - 13:51

  +1

  I've got 3 of the Portable Air Con units but with the window exhaust hose and it works well. Got one in the bedroom, one in the office and one for the Caravan when we go away. So handy and best thing I did last time.

  Yeah it consumes a bit of power and a bit noisy, but slept so well and was so comfortable working in the office.

  Evaporative, just keep in mind you might need to empty a water tank unless a hose runs out a window or to a drain in the bathroom (asssuming you have an ensuite).

  • 

    sumyungguy on 26/10/2025 - 14:37

    I understand portables do their best work in the evenings because we only get single hose models which create negative pressure; so the adjacent space needs to be not excessively hot/humid for them to work. Do I have this right or is it a myth? I absolutely support people purchasing them because they may have no other options.

    • 

      fantombloo on 26/10/2025 - 15:32

      +2

      Look online for ways to convert a single hose to a dual. I mocked up an external intake with thick cardboard and sticky tape and cheap ducting - it made a massive difference.

• 

  reflexline on 26/10/2025 - 18:13

  +2

  Avoid evaporative coolers, especially portables. Get a secondhand portable aircon on Facebook marketplace. I just paid $100 for a unit that Bunnings sells for $649 - it was one year old in perfect condition.

  Edit - If you have a split system in the living area, are you closing blinds in the morning in the bedrooms? We have a 5kw split in the living room which is just powerful enough to cool the bedrooms in summer if we let it run for a few hours and use a fan to move air to the bedrooms.

  If you use a portable air cooler and the aircon together, the two will be working against each other.

• 

  Astiolo on 26/10/2025 - 18:45

  I'm not sure about the Victorian climate, but in SA I've found evaporative coolers to be very effective. They work great with dry heat, but if it's humid they do nothing except add to the humidity.

  I see someone saying you need to empty the tank, but that's not true. You need to fill it up so it has water to evaporate.

  Someone else said it would fight with your split cycle unit. But split cycle ACs reduce humidity, so if anything they would work together.

  With a whole house system it's important to open windows to let the humid air out, but I haven't noticed humidity going up that much with the portable ones I've used.

  • 

    reflexline on 26/10/2025 - 19:04

    +1

    Evaporative air coolers require a lot of maintenance, which, in my experience is rarely done.

    Reducing humidity adds to a cooling effect because dry air makes it easier for sweat to evaporate from your skin.

• 

  tp0 on 26/10/2025 - 19:37

  +2

  Run the existing split system hard to cool the whole house. Use a high fan speed and lower temperature to ensure comfort in all rooms. Keep all internal doors open (excl. bathroom) and blinds shut.

  Run it constantly, do not turn it off. It'll take about half a day to cool the entire unit.

• 

  tenpercent on 26/10/2025 - 20:49

  If heat stays trapped when it's cool outside what you need is air circulation to get that free cooling from outside into the room. Create a cross-draft if possible and try to get the air near the ceiling circulating downward. You can create a cross-draft even when there's no breeze by putting a pedestal or box fan directly in front of an open window and having another opening (either a second window or door); if the bedroom door then you need another window or outside door open elsewhere for the air to flow, ideally in direct line of sight of the window + fan arrangement.
  Use another fan aimed toward the ceiling to get the air in the room circulating. A ceiling fan would do a better job of mixing the air in the room but if you're renting that might be unlikely - although you could ask. Some landlords might see it as in investment in (a) keeping you as a tenant and (b) improving the amenity and desirability of their property for future tenants.

  You should also look into to preventing heat entering the bedroom in the first place. Close blinds/curtains before direct sunlight comes into the room. If the window gets substantial direct sunight and it's a rental or not your own home to make modifications to, one of the cheapest and easiest things to do, is to place into the window large sheets of stiff cardboard with aluminium foil taped to one side, foil side pointing out. Aluminium has excellent reflectivity in the infrared (heat) wavelenghts.

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  TEER3X on 26/10/2025 - 21:26

  +1

  Portable evaps don't work. Even the whole house ones will struggle on the humid days (look at Melbourne's average dew point for each time period)

  Best option for you is a portable AC with an exhaust hose. Not the most efficient but will easily cool a bed room.

• 

  moto on 26/10/2025 - 23:07

  I would look into window tinting that bedroom window. Because I’m also suffering with the same problem come summer. Last summer I tried multiple car silver shades and that didn’t work in my favour.

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  jakentta on 28/10/2025 - 00:00

  I would look into improving building standards in the state and country wide. The lack of insulation in the walls, no double glazed windows, no proper awnings, no eaves, complete disregard when it comes to the planning for the placement of windows… Get these things right on a regulatory level, and you wouldn't have to worry about portable anythings.